


One bad thing after another

by dreamwriteremmy (ehryniewi)



Series: Schola-verse [11]
Category: Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Arguing, Community: dz_writing, Corruption, Crying, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Doctors & Physicians, Domestic, Drug Dealing, Drug Use, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Family, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Fear, Frustration, Gangsters, Harm to Children, Healers, Hospitals, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Nurses, Parents & Children, Recreational Drug Use, Serious Injuries, Sobbing, Swearing, Violence, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-08
Updated: 2013-06-01
Packaged: 2017-12-07 20:39:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/752864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ehryniewi/pseuds/dreamwriteremmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The aftermath of an argument with Apollo's foster son turns into a bigger disaster than Klavier ever expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters 1-8 were posted for Danger Zone Writing's Intelligence Training and the below description is specifically for those chapters, though it also applies to the later ones. The remaining 2 chapters are also to the prompts from the Intelligence Training (broken promise and crossbreed), but were not written within the DZ Intelligence Training time limit.
> 
>  **Title:** One bad thing after another  
>  **Agent name:** DreamWriter Emmy  
>  **Prompts/Clues Used:** 8/10 (in order of use: split personality, once in a blue moon, deep in thought, beaten black and blue, your time is up, see for yourself, first lady, H2O)  
>  **Fandom:** Ace Attorney  
>  **Pairings:** Klavier/Apollo  
>  Word count:  
> 5317  
>  **Rating/Warnings:** M - violence against children, mentions of corruption of the legal system, mentions of drug use/trade, dramatization of medical issues (probably not medically accurate), swearing  
>  **Summary:** The aftermath of an argument with Apollo's foster son turns into a bigger disaster than Klavier ever expected.  
>  **Notes:** This actually isn't complete yet. But this is part of a series of inter-connected short-stories related to my Schola-verse and Common House Arc headcanons.

Klavier mentally ticks off the number of signs that tell him this isn't Nico he's arguing with. "Split personality" might no longer be clinically correct terminology for dissociative identity disorder, but the way the boy's behaving is so off from what he knows Nico's like that split is really the best word for this particular alter. 

He knows how to handle the six-year-old Nicky who cries and needs constructive guidance. He knows how to handle when Sue launches into her suicidal failure-complex about not being able to protect "the boy". But he's not sure how to respond to this one who calls himself Skyler. Skyler makes him think of Daryan when Daryan behaved like the bad-boy animal he marketed himself as: The Shark. Fierce, angry, opportunistic, driven, dangerous. All teeth and little mercy. 

He also knows he's not winning this argument. That's the only thing he knows for certain, though he holds his tongue as the boy lashes him with his own angry words. It ends when the boy instinctively shoulders the duffel bag sitting in the corner of Klavier's office and bolts from the estate. He knows the bag is off-limits. Klavier knows this too. After all, that bag that is full of things Klavier hasn't told any of his or Apollo's children about and therefore is the most dangerous thing the boy can take with him out of the estate. In shock, Klavier stares at the empty space for a good ten minutes before it clicks that Nico could end up in a world of pain and the one thing running through his head is that Apollo will hate him forever and possibly kill him for this. He shoots a direct call to Daryan's new number at the precinct in a panic. Daryan knows what he means when he says, "Dar, Apollo's foster son took my bag and bolted toward People Park. He's identifying himself as Skyler. I need help. Apollo's going to kill me if I managed to inadvertently kill him." 

The former Shark listens to him panic and rattles off the facts back at him for confirmation, "This is the little boy with the alters right? A dark haired boy about thirteen, probably angry, might look a little like a street rat. Calling himself Skyler. He has your bag and he was heading toward People Park. Hold tight, princess. I'll let you know if I get word on his whereabouts..."

Once Dar hangs up, Klavier paces the office, mentally trying to go over how he could have stopped that argument from escalating as far as it did. Five minutes into the pacing he hears the door squeak open again and his daughter appears by his side, "Vati? Where'd Nico go?" 

Klavier hisses out the breath he was holding in, hands gripping the back of his office chair tightly, "Nico ran away, Marigold, and it's my fault and Apollo's going to be very mad at me." 

"Not your fault. He wasn't being nice and you were trying to tell him to behave. He's the one who ran away! I think Apollo will understand." 

Klavier frowns, "You don't know Apollo that well yet, Marigold. He's not going to be happy with me. I didn't really do a good job of being a daddy today."


	2. Chapter 2

When Apollo comes back home, he sees Klavier sitting on the front steps, looking at the sidewalk with his hands twisted into his too-short hair. The second thing he notices is Daryan standing on the lawn in full uniform, hands awkwardly at his side with a very serious expression. 

"This doesn't look like a casual visit. What's going on, Daryan?" 

Daryan glances from Klavier to Apollo to Kalli. "Apollo, you may want to sit down." 

Daryan's tone is uncannily gentle. And Apollo's mind goes a thousand different places, none of them good. Apollo knows he and Daryan do not get along. The most they do is tolerate each other for Klavier's sake, so... when Daryan is nice to him, which is only once in a blue moon, he knows something's terribly wrong.

He swallows and feels both hands clench into fists. Klavier looks up, "Go in and play with Marigold in the playroom, Kalli. Daddy and Vati and Mr. Crescend need to talk." 

"Okay Vati. Thank you for letting me come shopping with you, Daddy." 

Apollo nods, not trusting his voice in front of his foster-daughter at the moment and watches as Kalli pushes the door in then shuts it behind her and he hears her singing loudly as she walks farther from the door. Eventually the noise fades and he lets out the breath he didn't realize he was holding in and sits down next to Klavier.

"What's going on, Klavier?"

"I'm an idiot. Nico ran away because we got into an argument... Or well, Skyler got in an argument with me after I tried punishing him for being mean to Marigold. Skyler ran off with my bag, Apollo. And..." 

Klavier glances up at Daryan and Apollo's gaze shifts that way. Daryan kneels down, "I'm sorry, Apollo. We got a call at the precinct. An unconscious boy fitting Nico's description was reported to be in very serious medical condition. The caller said it looked like he got jumped. I told my boss that I thought I knew the unidentified boy's parents and that's why I'm here. I said I'd tell them to go to the hospital." 

"He's still alive, right?" 

Daryan frowns, "I think so. I haven't heard from my colleague yet who went to the scene." 

Apollo looks at Daryan, "Okay... Thanks Daryan." 

He pauses and looks toward Klavier, "I'm going to go see if I can get in touch with Mom or Nana Willow to watch the girls and tell them what's going on. Can you..." 

Klavier nods, "I'll get the keys and start the car and bring it around front."

Daryan frowns, "Hang in there, both of you... You both know how to reach me if you need me." 

Apollo nods and then pushes the door to the house and heads toward the kitchen with the bag of groceries in his hands. He shoves the coldcuts, milk and eggs into the fridge and puts the rest of the stuff on the countertop as he picks up the phone from the stand in the kitchen and dials his family home, "Hi Mom... Are you or Nana Willow available tonight? I need someone to come watch the girls... Klavier and I have to go to the hospital... Nico and his alters got themselves into trouble again."

He listens for a moment, "Okay... I'll see Nana Willow in a bit, then. Thanks Mom, I'll let you know what's going on later tonight." 

The doorbell rings and he heads to go get it. Nana Willow glances him over and then wraps her arms around him, "I hope everything turns out okay, hon." 

"Me too, Nana," he hates how small he sounds as he tightens his arms around her.

She smiles and hands him a handkerchief as she pulls away, "Where are the girls?" 

"In the playroom." 

He leads the way down the hall and kneels down in front of the two girls who are coloring at the tiny table. "Kalli, Marigold, Vati and I are going to the hospital 'cause Nico got hurt. Nana Willow's going to watch you tonight. Be good girls for her. We probably won't be back until after bedtime, okay?"

Both girls nod and Willow looks at him, "Besides making sure they eat and go to bed, do you have anything else you want me to do?" 

Apollo nods, "The groceries need to be put away." 

Willow nods, "Okay. Groceries away. If you need anything, call."

Apollo nods, "I will, Nana."

Kalli and Marigold rush over and wrap him in little arms, and he returns the hugs to the two girls, "Be good. Vati and I will be back later probably after you're asleep. We'll come give you goodnight kisses when we get in. Promise."


	3. Chapter 3

By the time they get to the hospital, Apollo's shaking. When he walks up to the emergency room's receptionist, he feels Klavier's hands resting on his shoulders, bracing him, trying to calm him down. His voice still sounds small and panicked when he pulls out his wallet and flips out the wallet insert of photos to the side that shows 5 different variations of Nico -- Klavier studies them and realizes Apollo's taken candid photos of each of Nico's alters -- "This little boy was admitted maybe a few hours ago in serious condition. He's our foster son. I'd like to see him If I can and speak to the doctor. My name's Apollo Justice and this is..." Apollo pauses and looks up at Klavier, not sure which name to use. Klavier smiles, "Klavier Gavin." The woman's eyes widen, "I'll page someone to see where he is and send them out to speak with you, please go take a seat."

Apollo feels Klavier steer him toward a curved bench near the vending machines and gently pressing his shoulders down to tell him to sit. He sits without saying a word, feeling himself shake and hating how much being in the hospital sets him off like this. Klavier doesn't sit down next to him, but instead walks over to the vending machines shoving money into both of them and coming back with a chocolate bar and a can of ginger ale. 

Klavier sits down next to him and opens the ginger ale and takes a long sip first before wrapping his shaking hands around the can, "Drink that slowly, Liebling." 

Focusing all his attention on the chilled can, Apollo lifts it up to examine it before taking a small sip, watching as Klavier breaks the chocolate bar in half and he frees one hand to take his half of the candy from his partner. 

He nibbles at it and then sighs, "We're not very good parents, are we, Klavier?" 

Klavier pauses to consider it and then shakes his head, "We could be a lot worse, Apollo. All things considered, I think this is just really bad timing. We had started building a really good foundation and then Kristoph shattered it, Apollo. Objectively you and I both know that Kristoph is good at that and it's a pity that even trying to catch him early didn't change that." 

Klavier continues, "I can read the others... Skyler, I can't very well. He makes me think of Daryan, but I can't defuse it the way I'd defuse an argument with Dar... It wouldn't be appropriate. I more or less ignored him yelling at me before he ran off. I wasn't sure what else i could do. Yelling back wasn't going to make me win the argument. I was pretty sure I'd lost as soon as he started escalating it. Most of the period between calling Daryan and Daryan arriving and waiting for you, I've been in my head, trying to figure out what I did wrong. I still can't figure out how I could have de-escalated that one. Do you know how to deal with Skyler?"

Apollo laughs, a bubbly overstimulated laugh that he knows is the kind of laughter that people make when things aren't okay. "I guess Nico isn't the only person who needs to work on communication. We do too. I probably should give you a copy of the book I started making with Nico so he can start identifying who's fronting. It doesn't always work, but I've found that cooling Skyler down literally with a teeny bit of ice or a damp cloth has a 75% efficacy at making him calm down enough to listen and not bite the hand that feeds him. I decided to try it on a whim once 'cause Devon used to do it to me if I was mad because I wasn't getting my way."


	4. Chapter 4

The wait is too long and Apollo's started shaking again by the time a doctor comes out to get them. "Mr. Justice, Mr. Gavin." Apollo stands up, and Klavier glances at him once and Apollo casually puts one hand at his throat and ducks his head and Klavier realizes that Apollo's too anxious to speak. He gives him a glance over and watches Apollo's fingers shift at his sides, recognizing that Apollo's using the mudras Devon was teaching him the last time he came over for dinner. The doctor looks concerned for a moment, and Klavier takes charge. "Could we see our foster son?" 

The doctor nods, leading the way. Finally he stops in a room, the first thing Klavier registers is the noise from the machines they've hooked up to Apollo's foster son. The second is how bad this looks. He's barely recognizable under all the bruises and there are too many places where it's obvious that bones have been broken. The most obvious of which looks like he's going to lose his left leg. Whoever jumped their foster son was really overdoing it. 

Apollo makes a choked sound and mutters, "That looks bad..." at the doctor and the doctor nods and says what Klavier suspected, "We want to amputate that leg, Mr. Justice. It's not salvageable, trying will likely be more likely to get infected than healing it." He points to the x-rays on the wall. 

Apollo makes another choked noise and then his voice comes out in an furious rage at Chords of Steel volume making the room rattle, "Who the hell would crush a goddamned thirteen year old!" 

The doctor steps forward and puts both hands on Apollo's shoulders and speaks in very measured tones. "Mr. Justice, I need you to lower your voice or I'm going to have to remove you. I can't have you scaring my other patients." 

Apollo's fingers curl so his ring and pinky touch his thumb and he shakily breathes in and out. In the newfound silence, Klavier's the first to hear the frustrated huff escaping from Nico, and sees the boy has managed to open one tear-filled eye and is struggling to reach Apollo's shirt sleeve to get his attention. 

"Apollo." Klavier keeps his tone sharp and business-like on purpose. Apollo looks up startled and Klavier flourishes one hand in Nico's direction and Apollo turns to see the hand reaching toward him, and his face lights up. "Oh thank god you're okay."

Klavier watches as Nico looks like he's about to try to move his mouth and then realizes how much it hurts and he jerkily lifts his right hand up to his forehead in the sign language for Daddy and then slowly moves both hands to the sign for pain. And Klavier feels terrible watching him. He makes the sign for sorry and watches as Nico responds with two signs. "No. I'm sorry." 

The doctor stares at the exchange with a somewhat amused expression and Klavier addresses him, "Doctor, do whatever needs to be done. I can pay for it. Just keep him alive."

The doctor nods and looks at Apollo, "Can I have you both sign some things?"

Klavier nods, "I'd like a copy of the print out of the estimate of the bill. Also did he come in with anything?"


	5. Chapter 5

The doctor waves a nurse in and asks for Nico's bag of belongings. Upon receiving it, Klavier unceremoniously dumps the bag on a chair and looks through it. What he notices is the shape of a card in the pocket of the jeans that had been cut off to get at Nico's injured legs. He pulls it out and glances it over once -- a bomb about go go off, a rat in a mouse trap, and a stylized R. His mind narrates the images for him smoothly: "Your time is up! You're a dead rat. The Rivales"-- and pockets it. Apollo looks at him suspiciously, but Klavier simply states, "I know who did it. I'll make them pay for it." 

Apollo studies him even more suspiciously but simply shrugs. Klavier knows by his partner's expression that he has an opinion that he won't state while they're in public. The doctor hands him a copy of the bill estimate and a clipboard with a release. 

He looks it over and shows it to Apollo. Apollo reads it, one hand still held in the same mudra and Apollo nods, picking up the pen and signing it. He does the same. 

The doctor nods and Apollo looks at the doctor, "What now?"

The doctor sighs and indicates Nico's leg, "We are going to take care of that first. Put him under so we can work."

Apollo sighs, "I'm staying here. I'm going to call Nana about what is going on, Klavier."

Klavier nods, "Have her tell the girls that neither of us will be home tonight and if she could keep watching them."

Apollo glances around the room, "Doctor, can you let me go out with my partner to the car? I need to go grab something." 

The doctor nods, "I'll hold him here for ten minutes and send a nurse out to get you." 

Apollo nods, "That's plenty. Discrete black car in the second row." 

In the car, Apollo frowns, "What are you going to do?"

Klavier pulls out the card, "This is one of the Rivales calling cards. If you let me, we don't even have to bring this to court. They owe me a favor from awhile ago. I got one of her kids out of a bind. And I think if the Kitakis can find a way to make clean money, I'm sure the Rivales can as well." 

Apollo purses his lips, "Fine. This whole mess is your fault. Take care of it whatever way you wish, but I want nothing to do with the details. Now I'm going to call Nana." 

"Hello Gavin Residence, this is Willow Trust speaking may I take a message?"

"Hi Nana, it's Apollo. Are the girls still up?" 

"Yeah they're watching a movie right now."

"Klavier and I aren't coming home tonight... Klavier has to do something in town and I'm staying at the hospital with Nico... He's not in very good shape and I want to make sure the doctors don't fuck shit up when the shift changes. Can we speak to the girls? Marigold first." 

"Okay hang on second." 

Apollo puts the phone on speaker and then hears Marigold's childish voice ring out, "Hi Daddy and Vati!" 

Klavier speaks first, "Hi Marigold, we're calling to say goodnight. Vati and Daddy aren't going to be home tonight. Nico's really hurt and Apollo wants to make sure everything turns out okay and I need to do some things for work to make sure this doesn't happen ever again." 

"Okay Vati and Daddy, I'll see you tomorrow?"

Apollo sighs, "Hopefully." 

"Night night Daddy and Vati. I love you both. Here's Kalli now." 

"Hi Daddy and Vati." 

Apollo smiles, "Hi Kalli. Daddy and Vati are calling to say night night cause we aren't going to be home until probably tomorrow."

"Okay Daddy. Is Nico okay?"

Apollo sighs, "Yes and no, Kalli. He's safe, but he's hurting lots and he won't exactly be the same Nico when he comes home, sweetie."

"I'm glad he's safe. You're going to make sure people take care of him, right?"

"Right, Kalli." 

"That's good. Vati, take care of Daddy for me, okay?" 

Klavier laughs, "Oh I will. Night night Kalli." 

"Night Night Vati. Night Night Daddy." 

"Give the phone back to Nana, Kalli." 

"Nana! Daddy wants to talk to you again!" 

"I'm not going to be able to call Mom to give her an update... Could you just let her know that I'm hanging in there with Nico? Thanks.... And Thank you again for staying later to watch the girls... I can't thank you enough Nana." 

There's a knock on the car window and Apollo sighs, "Time's up. I need to go now, Nana... The nurse came out for me to go see what's going on now. Bye. I'll text you when i have more details." 

Klavier looks at Apollo, "You sure I can leave you alone like this? I know how much you hate being here."

Apollo turns his hands up in the mudra again and nods, "I'll be fine or well maybe not fine, but I'll hang in there. Just... Don't do anything fucking stupid with the Rivales." 

Klavier nods, "Deal. Though I don't think they'd do anything stupid with me because they know I can make their life as much a living hell as they can turn mine. I'll be back as soon as I can."


	6. Chapter 6

Apollo opens the door, taking his phone with him and his journal. Klavier watches the nurse walk Apollo back into the hospital building, as Apollo holds his hands in the same mudra. 

Klavier drives further into the city. He stops at a pay phone and dials Catalina and leaves a message in short measured tones. "This K. I need a word with you tonight, Catalina. Meet me at the band's apartment. I should hope your boys didn't go through my bag."

Two hours later at the apartment with a spliff handrolled in hand and a bag of chocolate and he's sitting on the fire escape waiting for her. It's funny how used to this he is. Even with the band mostly in shambles, he's still a regular here. If the prosecutor's office and the media knew, they'd have a field day over another dirty law officer and that's one of the reasons he wants to take care of this on his own. 

"Sup K?" She drops his bag unceremoniously at his feet.

"Your boys made a very big mistake. That wasn't a rat who had my bag." 

"Oh?"

"My partner's foster son. We got in an argument. He knows I run off when I'm upset with it. He didn't know what was in it." 

"¡Dios mío! Is he?"

"Alive yes. Otherwise..." He pulls out the copy of the estimate (he's blacked out all of the identifying information) and hands it to her, "See for yourself." 

She looks it over, and he watches her brow furrow, "They shouldn't have been so rough, even if he was a rat. This is overkill even for a bag of goods stolen from a regular." 

"They also left this." He hands her the calling card. "Doesn't look like they intended to be nicer if the cards an indication. It looks like whomever did it wanted to kill our son, even if they didn't know that's what he was." 

She sighs, "I'll talk to them tonight. It wasn't a fair job. I won't stand for this either. What's your price for my boys mistake?"

"I will admit I am partly at fault for the accident so I will be paying the bill myself, but because it was your boys mistake that has made the biggest of the problems, I want to be paid back a quarter of the bill in clean cash and the other quarter in whatever compensation your boys can manage. They know what I like. If you and your boys can handle that request, I won't bring this to court."

She nods, "Reasonable enough. I'll talk to them and we'll draw up a contract draft for you to review tonight. I'll drop it by here tomorrow for you to edit and review. Then get in touch with me again and I'll make sure the boys involved accompany me to sign it."

He nods, "Good. And make sure it's clear to them that this is a serious offense and I am not beyond punishing them for it if they want to pull funny business on me." 

Catalina nods again, "Deal." 

She pauses and reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small baggie and hands it to him, "Take this free of charge as the first small part of compensation. I'll go talk to them now." 

He examines the baggie and nods, "Thank you Catalina."


	7. Chapter 7

For obvious reasons he's not allowed in the OR floor. He still doesn't know why they didn't just jump ahead and take him in and do this earlier since Nico was in so much pain, but he knows he's not really qualified to make those sorts of decisions anyway and hospitals in the area are always busy and understaffed. The upside of staying, though, is this. Once the nurse had brought him back to give Nico one last hug and a kiss on the forehead and told him "I'll see you when you wake up", he asked if there was anyone he could talk to about aftercare. 

With Nico he knows that is the most important piece of hospital stays because like him, Nico doesn't have many good memories of hospitals and he feels like he needs to know exactly what they'll be dealing with because of the millenia of injuries sustained. 

And so he's in an office listening to this woman explain the nature of the injuries in lay peoples terms. After some time, she smiles at him, watching his hands shift into the mudras Devon taught him. They're useful and partially effective when he can't find the words to explain what's going on. She looks at him, "That's the safe and sound mudra... Do you not feel safe here?"

He feels his cheeks coloring and he drops his head, not really able to find the words to explain this. He's never really been able to talk to people about how much he hates being in the hospital. At the moment, he kind of wishes he asked Klavier to stay instead of going out. 

She smiles, "It's okay if you don't feel comfortable. The hospital isn't always a safe feeling place. Would you be okay with me trying to make this room a safe space for you?" 

He looks up and nods. She's the first lady in a long time to realize how uncomfortable he is. And the first one in a while to realize that he's trying his best to create a safe space and that it's not quite as effective as he'd like. She walks around the room, drawing symbols on the walls and smiles at him. He can feel the energy in the room shift a little and he shivers. 

She gives him another gentle smile and pulls a blanket out of the closet and wraps it around his shoulders. "You know, you can talk to me. Babbling can be a good meditation technique. I know you can talk."

She's talking in a tone that reminds him of Sarah and he decides that it is safe enough. He lets himself babble about his childhood and his own bad experiences with hospitals and how he sees a lot of his own issues in Nico's own experiences and that the reason he's concerned is because he doesn't want this to be another bad experience for either of them. And he's not sure how they'll handle this difference in the way they're going to have to manage these new health issues on top of others.

When he's done talking, he looks down at his hands. It does feel better to finally have someone listening to him and letting him let go of all the anxiety. 

She smiles, "Done?"

He nods again. He feels a lot lighter now that his discomfort is out in the open.

"I'm glad you got that out there. The last thing I want to do is make you upset! I will personally make sure you get very specific information about Nico's condition and if you ever need help, there are plenty of people you can speak with along the way. Yes, it will be different, but most of it should make sense and we're all here to help you." 

"Thank you."


	8. Chapter 8

At that moment his stomach growls and she chuckles, taking the blanket off his shoulders and shoving it into a bin in the corner, "Let me show you to the cafeteria, since it isn't closed yet." He nods, "Thank you again." 

As they're walking, his phone buzzes and he sees a text from Klavier, "Everything's taken care of. I need to go back out tomorrow, but things'll be fine on this end. I'm on my way back, where are you?"

She stops and glances at him, "Your partner?"

"Yeah..." since they've stopped he texts back, "Meet me at the cafeteria. We'll have dinner and talk about something else."

She smiles at him, "Are you feeling okay now that we've talked?"

"Not exactly." He laughs that same bubbly nervous laugh he let out with Klavier earlier in the afternoon, "One conversation isn't going to resolve more than 15 years worth of fear. But I feel a little better that you actually took some time to think about the context of my panicked babbling instead of jumping to conclusions... I've had that happen to me too many times when I was younger. It's why I don't really like being here. Not many people will take the time to listen because they'er stressed and overworked and probably underpaid, and that's why I'm more than a little worried about Nico. He needs people to listen and think about the contexts of his words, much like I do. sometimes he says things he doesn't actually mean. We're not too difeerent, though we express ourselves differently. I think the common background might be why... I'm an adoptee myself." 

She smiles wryly, "Yeah, it's a part of my job to consider the context. I have to deal with parents in various aspects of grieving for their children's situation. It's unfortunate that not many people in this field pay attention to the context of people's words. It says as much about them as their actions, if you're paying attention."

"Not many people in general do." 

"Still unfortunate." 

When they get to the kitchen, she watches him beeline for the coffee and as she grabs herself a cup as well she laughs, "I'd recommend grabbing water too, if you're planning on staying overnight." 

His phone buzzes again and he looks at it then looks up toward the entrance of the cafeteria and she catches his gaze staring at Klavier Gavin. She starts laughing, "I can see why you didn't want to tell me your partner's Klavier Gavin." 

Apollo blushes and she grins and waves the ex-rockstar toward them. Klavier stops briefly along the wall and grabs two bottles of water from one of the refrigeration units. When Klavier finally stands by them, he's all playful teasing, "Who's the Fräulein accompanying you, Liebling?"

She watches Apollo's expression flicker and then he starts laughing nervously again... Klavier looks at him and then her and she watches the former rockstar's bright media-ready smile flicker to a slightly lower wattage, less ethereal rockstar persona and something that seems much more human, concerned.

She chooses to introduce herself for him, "I'm Dana, one of the rehabilitation counselors here. I was talking to Apollo a bit about what rehabilitation for Nico will probably look like." 

Klavier frowns, "I'm glad he found someone to talk to, but... excuse us a moment." 

She turns to mixing cream in her coffee, and out of the corner of her eye, she sees the former rockstar lean down and whisper something in Apollo's ear as he takes the coffee cup from the defense attorney. Mere seconds later, Apollo wraps his arms around Klavier in a bear hug. Her mind supplies _possibly skin-hunger?_ when she turns around and moves to grab a sandwich from one of the grab-n-go units. 

Before she turns to leave she reaches into the pocket of her coat and hands Klavier her business card. "If you or Apollo would like some support, you can reach me here. I'm not going to be much longer this evening, but I'll be back tomorrow." 

Klavier takes it, "Thank you, Fräulein, for watching out for him."


	9. Chapter 9

Now that they're alone, Klavier scouts out the cafeteria with his chin resting on Apollo's head, "Anything you want particularly for dinner, Apollo mausi?"

Apollo shrugs. Klavier sighs and strokes his back, "Better question, how is your stomach feeling?"

"I don’t know…”

Klavier sighs, “Let’s look then. If you can’t decide by the time we make the perimeter, I’ll pick for you.”

Apollo ends up with a soup and a half a sandwich and Klavier snags two slices of pizza. Klavier pays for their food and drinks and then herds Apollo to the last available booth-table in a corner.

They eat mostly in silence, or rather Klavier starts eating and Apollo mostly picks at his food idly. 

When Klavier realizes Apollo's not eating, he sighs, "Apollo mausi, you need to eat." 

Apollo sighs, "I know... I just... I _promised_ Klavier. I know it was a really **stupid** promise to make and it was going to get broken, but I **promised**. I thought maybe we could be a family especially now that Kristoph's not with us anymore, but it's not enough. And I don't know what we're going to do. Klavier, he's going to have as many if not more issues than Kalli. We're going to be raising **two** special needs children now, not just one. And with his mental challenges as is, I don't know how we're going to be able to make him understand that this isn't the end of his world. How am I supposed to explain that losing a leg isn't the end of the world and he's still my beautiful boy? And I keep thinking that he would have been better off if they had killed him. And I **hate** myself for thinking like that! I can't do this anymore, Klavier. I really can't keep myself together."

He pushes his cup of soup and sandwich aside and puts his head down, and starts sobbing. And Klavier feels the gaze of the audience intrigued by Apollo’s upset first. And then feels the guilt wrap itself around his heart. This whole situation is hurting Apollo terribly and he never should have left Apollo alone here.

Klavier sighs and stands up and moves to Apollo's side of the booth and pulls the sobbing attorney into his lap, resting his chin on Apollo's head. "Shh... You don't have to keep it together, Liebling... I'm sorry for leaving you alone. And it's not stupid nor by extension are you stupid. You love him, Apollo. You say things like that and think things like that because you love him and you don't want him to be in pain. We're a team, remember. And I have money. Maybe he'll learn to walk again. You don't know. We don't know. We'll manage somehow. But you are doing Nico no favors by not eating."

"I **can't** , Klavier." 

"Kalli said I had to take care of you. You have to eat something. I can't remember if you even ate before you left to go grocery shopping with Kalli."

"We went to the smoothie place on the way back."

“Apollo, that was over 3 hours ago.”

“Excuse me.” Klavier looks up to see a nurse by their table. Her name tag reads, Linette, RN, RMT.

Linette smiles, “Would either of you like a hug or reiki?”

Klavier grins, he knows reiki. “I would to both items. Apollo, would you?”

Apollo looks up with a perplexed expression, “What’s reiki?”

Linette smiles, “It’s a natural Japanese hands-on or hands-off healing technique that induces a relaxation response.” 

Apollo frowns but looks up, “…Well, I’ll try it, but hands off for me and no hug.”

Klavier smiles, and gently pushes Apollo off his lap. “You first, you need it more than I do.”

Linette pulls a chair away from an empty table, “Come on, Apollo, sit sideways on the chair.” 

Klavier watches as she brings her hands into a prayer position, lifts them over her head, then gently talks to Apollo as she lowers her hands very slowly, “Turn your hands palm up, it helps the energy flow quicker. Close your eyes. I’m going to show you something neat Apollo. Tell me to stop when you feel something change in the energy around you.” 

Klavier watches amusedly when Apollo says stop — Linette’s hands are nearly a foot above his head. She smiles, “Open your eyes, look up at how far away my hands are.” 

Apollo looks up with wide eyes. “Wow.”

“That’s how powerful this is. Close your eyes. I’m going to lower my hands closer — into your lower auras. If at any point the hovering is too close, tell me to move out. I need you to be up front about that. I don’t want to trigger anything bad for you.” 

She lowers her hands to hover just a few inches over his head. “That good still, Apollo?”

“Mmhm.” Klavier’s a little surprised. Apollo doesn’t like people hovering around his head, usually.

She draws a bubble around him with her hands, an expression bordering scientific as Klavier watches her. She pauses at his throat and Apollo makes a noise that borders on discomfort, a sort of strangled sob-like sound. She lifts her hand out further, intuitively guessing that he didn’t like that. “You don’t like that, hmm?”

Apollo nods and then shakily says, “Can you move?”

Linette sighs, “You sure you want me to move? It might get better if you sit with it.”

“No, move, please. I’m not ready.”

“Okay.” Linette shifts to his shoulders. 

And then smiles, as she slides her hands down to his feet and stays there for a few minutes kneeling on the floor before she gets up again and smooths down the air in an egg shape around him. “There you go, Apollo.”

Klavier watches Apollo blink and then stand up slowly. “Don’t feel like this often.” 

Linette smiles, “It’s a good feeling, though, I hope. Drink your water and maybe have some of your soup. Your partner is right, Apollo. You need to eat.”

Apollo nods, “Okay.” 

The mellow tone surprises Klavier and he smiles broadly at Linette. “Not too many people can relax him like that, Linette. You must be good.” He slides out of the booth taking the now empty chair as Linette pulls a hand sanitizer out of her jacket pocket and takes care of herself.

Klavier smiles, “I’m ok with being touched.” He glances briefly over at Apollo who has taken his seat again and is shoveling soup in his mouth in a way that makes it look like someone either starved him or he thinks someone’s going to take it away. “Liebling, slow down. No one is going to steal your food.”

Apollo pauses mid-bite and swallows, “Thanks for the reminder, Klavier. For a minute I forgot how old I was.” 

Linette gives both of them a perplexed look but doesn’t press the issue. Klavier turns his hands up in his lap before Linette even says anything and sighs, “Don’t ask, Linette.” 

She comes around in front of him, “You’re familiar with reiki, Klavier?”

Klavier nods, “Yeah…” 

“Is there anything you want me to focus on?”

Klavier pauses thoughtfully, “Calmness.” 

Linette nods, “I can do that.” 

She returns to behind him and puts one hand on his forehead and one at the base of his neck. 

Klavier shudders and she’s not startled. “Hmm… You release by shaking.”

Klavier chuckles, “Yeah. I freaked out my first practitioner when I was in the psych ward and wanted a treatment. She thought I was having a seizure until her teacher said that was normal for some people. As long as you don’t worry about it, I’m fine.” 

“I won’t. I’ve had patients and a colleague who do that. It’s just not usually talked about much. Which I think is unfortunate because it’s a lot more common than people let on. I’ve read some of the really old manuals in the original Japanese and they mention it a bit.”

After a minute passes, she shifts down to his throat and heart chakras and then again runs herself all the way down to Klavier’s feet, regrounding him. 

Klavier smiles, opening his eyes as she smoothes out his aura, “Danke Fräulein.”

He stands up and she wraps him in a hug. “It’s nothing.” She reaches into her jacket again and produces a business card, “Here, have my private practice card.”

Klavier smiles broadly, after looking it over. “You work with children, too, that’s good. Apollo and I will talk to our children when they’re in better shape, maybe we’ll call you.” 

Linette smiles, “There’s no rush. I just figured I’d offer.” 

Klavier nods, “Thank you again.” 

Linette nods, walking back to her table and cleaning up. 

Apollo looks over at Klavier over the corner left of his sandwich. Klavier smiles, “You look a lot better now, Liebling.”

Apollo nods, “Feel better too. Kind of like when Devon works on me. But it feels softer.” 

Klavier nods, “Good. Almost ready to go check up on Nico?”

Apollo looks at the sandwich in his hand, puts it down and nods, “Yeah, I don’t think I can eat anymore.” 

“You ate more than I expected you to after that outburst.” 

Apollo’s cheeks color, “Sorry for being overdramatic.” 

“It wasn’t overdramatic, Apollo. You were just suppressing too much. Come, let’s go see if Nico’s gotten out of OR.”

Klavier leads the way to the reception area and asks the receptionist if she could look up where Nico is. Apollo stands back, off to the side, wringing his hands as Klavier flirts with the woman he’s talking to. She smiles and pages a nurse who comes and collects them. 

Once in the room, Apollo rushes over to Nico’s side, running his fingers through his sleeping son’s hair. Klavier studies Nico as Apollo uses tactile motions to calm himself. They've set most of the broken bones while they were gone. That's good, even if it does make him look even smaller in the bed. Then Klavier gives the room a once over, mildly surprised they put him in a single. Maybe someone actually read Nico’s chart for once. 

Klavier grabs one of the plastic chairs and puts it behind Apollo. “Sit Schatzelein.”

Apollo does and Klavier stands behind him. Nico’s eyes flutter and he blinks blearily at them. Klavier looks at him closely and realizes the head injury was worse than the doctors suspected; his eyes are red and the pupils uneven. He mumbles something that might be either Da or Vati with a confused tone. And when Apollo can’t get a noise out beyond a hum, Klavier speaks up soothingly, “Ssshhh… We’re here Nico. We’re here.” 

One of Nico’s hands move fast and Klavier doesn’t catch what the boy just signed, but Apollo pushes the chair back fast against Klavier’s knees, offsetting Klavier’s balance and grabs the barrel from next to the bedside table as Nico starts to throw up, and Apollo shifts Nico, awkwardly trying to maneuver the teen's broken arm so that it's out of his way, and he’s leaning over his arm, over the barrel.

Klavier steps out of the room to wave down a nurse. “He’s vomiting.” 

The nurse comes in and goes into the bathroom. She returns with a pile of supplies and Klavier observes as she helps Apollo take care of Nico. Apollo takes a once over of himself when Nico’s done being sick and the nurse has Nico settled with a few sips of water, “I really need to stop wearing my work clothes out.” He shucks off the button-down dress shirt down to the t-shirt he wears underneath and the nurse goes in one of the drawers and takes the shirt from Apollo and puts it in a biohazard bag. 

The nurse smiles, “We want to keep him for awhile, if you both don’t mind.”

Klavier shakes his head, “Whatever is necessary.” 

Nico seems to notice that his leg is gone at that moment and starts crying, and a very young-sounding voice says, “Vati, what happened? Where’s my leg?”

Apollo looks hopelessly at Klavier and Klavier sighs, realizing that Nico’s switched Nicky out from the shock.

The nurse stares, “He has DID?”

Apollo nods, “Yeah… It’s in his chart, which I think someone must have read, because this is a single.” 

Klavier looks at the nurse, “Am I allowed to hold him?”

The nurse nods, fiddles with the controls on the bed and lowers the guardrail. Klavier perches onto the edge of the bed and pulls Nicky into his lap, holding him like a baby and rocking back and forth. 

“Skyler got into an argument with me, Nicky. He ran away with my special bag and some not nice people beat you up very badly because they thought you were a thief.” 

“Is that why everything doesn’t feel right?”

“Probably. They have you on lots of medicine right now because otherwise you'd hurt too much and you were just put to sleep a few hours ago so that they could take care of your leg and arm. Your head and face are pretty bad, too. Your leg was very bad too, but the doctor decided that it was better to cut it off than try to heal it. When the doctor says you’re better enough to talk about it, we’ll figure out what we want to do about it, okay?”

Nicky smiles, “Ok Vati.”

Apollo smiles, “We’re still gonna take care of you all no matter what happens, Nicky. I promise.”

“Okay. Dad, can I get a hug from you, too?”

Apollo smiles, “Of course.” He wraps his arms around Klavier and Nicky. “We’re gonna have to let you stay here at the hospital for a few days. I have to go into work in the morning and tell them I’m taking a leave of absence until you’re better. I’ll come visit you tomorrow. Do you want your sisters to come or no?”

Nicky pauses, “No, but I want something pretty from them.”

Apollo smiles, “Okay. That’s within your limits. If you change your mind, let me know.”

“I will Dad. Thank you.”


	10. Chapter 10

It's early when Apollo and Klavier finally do decide to leave the hospital. Nicky's long since fallen back to sleep and they've been keeping a watch over him. Before they leave, Apollo asks the overnight nurse for a sheet of paper and writes a note to Nico and his headmates in his neatest handwriting, placing it on the bedside table, "If they wake up before I get back here, make sure they see it. If they need help reading it, whomever's around is allowed to read it aloud to them." 

The nurse nods, "I will and I'll tell the next shift much the same." 

 

In the car, after they've fastened their seatbelts, Apollo falls apart again and Klavier digs the tissues out of the glove compartment, holding the box out to him, starting the car, "We'll get through this, Schatzelein." 

Apollo takes the box and nods and around sobs, "I know... I just... Why does this have to be so fucking hard?”

Klavier sighs. "Ssshh... Don't think about it right now. You're tired, Apollo and it's making you edgy. If you need to sleep, you can, I'll get you in the house."

He heads back into the city, toward home. Apollo does end up crying himself to sleep on the drive and Klavier bundles him up in his arms when they get to the estate, carrying him into the house. Willow's sitting in the armchair in the front parlor knitting as he kicks the door shut behind him and Vongole comes running over to greet them. 

He commands heel in German as he walks further into the room. Klavier dumps Apollo gently on the couch and sits on the floor beside it stretching out his legs. 

Willow looks over her knitting at them both and stands up taking the afghan from the top of the armchair and bringing it over. She tucks it under Apollo’s head. “He didn’t take today very well, did he?”

“Nein. I should not have left him alone when I did.” 

“You did the best you could, Klavier. Why did you have to leave him?”

“I figured out who hurt Nico. I wanted to make sure I could get this covered in a way that would involve less drama on all ends. I know them too well. And he said I could, even though it was likely against his better judgment.”

“People from your other life?”

“Ja, you could say that.”

“What about you?”

“I think I am ok. I worry more about Apollo getting through this more than anything else. I think Nico will be able to manage; he’s not in very good condition, but he’s young and there’s time. Apollo… He keeps doing that thing where he holds himself together when it would be better to let himself fall apart; it is making the falling apart that much worse. And the judging too.”

Willow sighs, “I know. He used to be so much better before he met your older brother. Brandon caught the shift first. The rest of us wouldn’t believe him; not until the damage was already done. Usually I’m more perceptive than that with the kids Sarah takes in.”

Klavier frowns, “Kristoph was good at that sort of thing, unfortunately.” 

“Apollo promised the girls kisses. I think he’d allow the compromise of you going in and giving them kisses for him. I’ll keep the watch.”

“Danke.”

He stands up, and heads first into Kalli’s room. He reaches one hand out to stroke Kalli’s hair. She whimpers in her sleep and Klavier sits down on the edge of the bed, gently, cautiously shaking her awake. “Kalli, Süße. Wake up, you’re having a bad dream.”

She blinks at him, rubbing her eyes, as she sits up, “Where’s Daddy, Vati?”

“Daddy’s sleeping in the living room with Nana. I came in to give you kisses for him.”

“Is Nico going to be ok?”

“With time, he will. He wants you and Marigold to make him cards and pictures when Apollo goes back to visit him later today.” 

“Ok.” She yawns.

Klavier smiles, pressing a kiss to her forehead, “Go back to sleep, Kalli. Apollo will wake you up before he goes into submit his leave off work.” 

“Ok, Vati. Night night.” 

He tucks her back into bed with another kiss, before heading to Marigold’s room.

He strokes Marigold’s hair for awhile before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Goodnight, Spätzchen.”

He tucks the blankets around her again then heads back toward the front room. He hurries when he hears Apollo’s distressed voice. Apollo’s in Willow’s lap, sobbing and babbling. He sits down next to them until Apollo has gotten all the grief out of him. Apollo yawns again and Klavier smiles, “Let’s go to bed, Liebling.” 

Apollo nods, “You can take the spare room, if you want, Nana.”

Willow nods, “Okay hon.”

 

On lunch break the next day, Klavier stops by the band’s apartment to pick up the contract Catalina promised after he sees she’s notified him that the delivery’s done when he checks one of the spare emails from his nonwork phone that he uses to keep in touch with people from his other life. Once back to work, he locks himself in his office and goes through it. Catalina’s done a very good job of it. He marks up what he’ll need to edit at the computer in the band’s apartment, but overall it’s a good deal on all ends. He’s getting repaid for the troubles and they haven’t made any loopholes they can wriggle out of.

 

After he leaves work, he calls Catalina again, “Come see me around 9 with your boys. I should have the contract ready then.”

After 9, he has the table set with the contract, and ink. 

They talk over the contract for awhile and then they all sign it and one of the boys grins, “For the other half of compensation, you’re going to be our trial person. We’ve been breeding some good shit. New crossbreed.” 

He hands him a heat-sealed ziplock. “This is a mix of the parents before breeding. Hopefully we’ll have the first offspring in a couple weeks. Should be good shit.”

Klavier examines the bag, sniffs it, nods. “Does seem good. This different from what you gave me yesterday, Catalina?”

Catalina nods, “Yeah yesterday was what’s passing for reg these days. This is higher-grade stuff.” 

“Good. Thank you all. And please keep up on the deliveries of both the repayment terms and this additional compensation. If you need me to readjust teh terms, just let me know. Catalina knows how to reach me.” 

The boys nod, “Sure K.”

Catalina nods, “I’ll make sure this works out. We are truly sorry for the misunderstanding, K.”


End file.
